1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to cabinet structures, household devices with secret compartments, and safes.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many inventions for the home have secret compartments. Furniture with secret compartments is expensive, complicated, and limited to small items.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,112 to Welty (1973) discloses a compartment within a door hinge that is expensive and complicated. It requires lengthy installation, is limited to small items and cannot be easily uninstalled and taken to another home.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,652 to Hoffman (1989) discloses a device masquerading as cold air return which is limited to small items. It requires elaborate construction into a house wall and cannot be easily uninstalled and taken to another home.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,934 to Dombrowski (1996) discloses a cold air return with a secret compartment. It is limited to hiding small items. The flow of air can introduce dirt and moisture to the valuables. Elaborate construction may be required to match the new air return to the existing vents. It cannot be easily uninstalled and taken to another home.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,034 to Clark (2000) discloses a trashcan safe that is expensive, complicated, and limited to small items. Moisture and dirt may damage valuables and papers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,079 to Lawrence (1991) discloses a compartment within a door. It requires elaborate construction, holds little, and requires refinishing the door to hide the secret additions. It also cannot be easily uninstalled and taken to another home.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,314 to Garvin (1978) discloses a wall depository that imitates an electrical outlet holds little. It cannot not be easily uninstalled and taken to another home.
Can safes hold little, and have been discarded when the can appears old.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,018 to Dyer (1937) discloses a refrigerator with a depository that is expensive and may damage valuables with moisture.
Gun safes are expensive, large, ugly and very heavy. They are slow to open. They are rarely close to a sleeping homeowner.
Gun cabinets are large and expensive pieces of furniture. They seldom fit into a bedroom. They are less secure than a safe and are not quickly opened.
The Closet Hiding Place hides valuables, personal items and dangerous items. It is inexpensive. It is simple in construction. It is trivial to install. It is very quick to load and unload. It may be easily installed and easily uninstalled in a rental property.
The Closet Hiding Place has more volume than most secret compartment devices. It is long enough to hold one or more rifles. There are no locks to slow the acquisition of any contents, including a firearm. A closet is a clean dry place. Many secret compartment devices in external house walls allow moisture condensation onto valuables.
The Closet Hiding Place is usually installed in a closet above the door. This poorly illuminated area is unobtrusive and inconspicuous. Many closets have little space to stand and see the area above the doorway. The Closet Hiding Place is installed in an area where nothing is traditionally placed. A burglar would need to carry a flashlight to discover the Closet Hiding Place.
Installing one in many closets would increase the time a burglar searches. He would need to carry something to stand on from room to room. This would decrease the amount of loot he could carry. A Closet Hiding Place in a child""s room or a laundry room would be unexpected. Water heater rooms, utility rooms, kitchen cupboards or linen closets would be unexpected. The Closet Hiding Place is usually attached to a wall by screws and can also be attached by Velcro or hooks. The Closet Hiding Place and its contents can then be removed in an instant.
The Closet Hiding Place can assume the appearance of many ordinary building materials. It may look like a cylindrical or rectangular air duct. It may imitate a water pipe or whatever building instrumentality comes into vogue. It is installed inside a closet above the closet""s door. The Closet Hiding Place will extend to fit the width of a closet. Adding additional nesting channels will accommodate the width of any closet. One channel may be cut to fit the width of a narrow closet. The Closet Hiding Place will conceal valuable, dangerous and private items.